Ammunition dispensing device



April 1950 A. JOHNSON 2,503,741

AMMUNITION DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Feb. 21, 1948 i g E l m a "Hum-1 e i 7v:

, INVENTOR. ..l/i, u. m .m -.....,...-.....Z. 1

2/2 5 36 (7 BY g Patented Apr. 11, 1950 S PATENT I OFFICE AMMUNITION DISPENSING DEVICE Andrew Johnson, Butte, Mont. Application February 21, 1948, Serial No. 9,971

' tained therein accessible to the user's fingers, so

that the same may be grasped and withdrawn for use; yieldable means being provided to; releaseably hold said bottommost cartridge against outward escape from the container until it is desired to be grasped and withdrawn.

The invention has for further objects to provide a novel dispensing container for the abovestated purposes which includes means for feeding its content of cartridges downwardly toward the discharge end of the container; to provide means for adjustably sizing the interior of the container for accommodation of various lengths of cartridges; and to provide the container with means for attaching'the same for convenient carriage, to an apparel belt worn by the user.

, Other objects of this invention, not at this time more, particularly enumerated, will be understood from 'the following detailed description of the Same.

An illustrative embodiment of the inventionis shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is 'a side'elevational view of theammii'nition dispensing device; Fig. 2 is'an'endelevation'al view,"view'ed"from the right in Fig. l.;,l-"ig 3 isa longitudinal vertical sectionalviewjtakn'on line 3+3 "in Fig. 2;Fig. 4 is atrar'i'sverse vertical sectional view, taken on line 4- 4 in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view, taken on line 55 in Fig. 3.

. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary endelevational' view, similar to that of Fig. 2, but showing a modified mounting of the yieldable detent means for holdi'ri'g a bottommost cartridge against outward escape from the container.

Similar characters of refere'nce are employed in the hereinabo-ve described'views, to indicate corresponding parts. a g I Referring to the drawings, the ammunition dispensing device comprises an upwardly open container which is formed by a front wall In, a back wall II, a rear end wall l2 and a forward end wall l3. The bottom end of the container is closed by a bottom wall I4 whichv is of transversely curved formation, and which is downwardly inclined from the rear-endwall I23 toward the; forward end wall 113 of thetcontainen; bet-,-

3 Claims. (Cl. 224-22) tom wall [4 is thus internally shaped conformablyr to the cylindrical contour of cartridges C which are to be carriedin the container, and,'as so The main body of the container may be of a.-

width adapted to accommodate but a single columnor stack of cartridges C, but, preferably, is

of a width to accommodate a double column or stack of such cartrides, as shown. In the latter case, the back wall H of the container isprovided, at its lower portion, with an inwardly and downwardly inclined wall section [8 which is: convergent upon the discharge chute l5;

At the forward end of the container, the end,v side and bottom walls thereof :are cut away to provide an inwardly offset opening or mouth I] at :the forward end of the chute 15, thus. exposing an end portion of the 'bottommost car-1 tridge C which is lodged in said chute. so thatsaid cartridge is accessible and subject to being grasped by the fingers and withdrawn from the,

container by the user.

Aflixed to the forward end wall l3 of the con-' most cartridge C in the chute ISagainst acci-L- dental outward escape therefrom. This detent.

means, in one form thereof as shown in Figs.

1, 2, 3 and 5 more particularly, comprises a,v

u shaped stop member [8, the respective arms of which terminate in helical spring coils 19 whichserveas resiliently yieldable hinging members for said stop member.v The outer ends of said re-:

spective spring coils l9 terminate in upwardly ex.-::

tending supporting legs 20, which are adapted to be afiixed to the outer face of the forward end wall l3 of they container, so as to dispose: the detent means in such relation to the dis-.

charge opening or mouth I! of the chute l5 that the stop member I8 will overhang said opening or mouth, and thus lap the upper marginal por-' tion of the exposed end of the cartridge C con-f tained in the chute I5, thereby detaining said cartridge against accidental escape from the:

portions 22, which abut the upper sides of said anchor lugs 2!, so as to prevent accidental Withdrawal of the legs 20 from the embrace thereof.

In Fig. 6 is shown a somewhat modified arrangement for mounting the detent means in supported connection with the forward end wall l3 of the container. In this latter arrangement, the hinging spring coils l9 are mounted on and around the transverse section '23 of a U-shaped supporting member having upwardly extending arms 24, along which the legs 20 of the detent means extend. Said arms 24 and legs 20 are, as shown, together secured to the container end wall l3 by solder 25; although it will be obvious that the same may be secured by anchor lugs in the manner previously described, or in any other suitable manner.

While either of the above described forms of detent means is deemed preferable, it will be understood that other and varied form's thereof may be employedso'long as a dependent yieldable stop member is included for overlapping restraining engagement withthe exposed end 01 a cartridge C held in the discharge chute of the container.

The bottom wall E4 of the container, which defines the discharge chute i5, is provided with a plurality of suitably located longitudinally spaced internal cross-ribs 26. These cross-ribs are adapted to support the diametrically reduced nose end portion 0 'of a cartridge C which is lodged in the chute 15, thus balancing the 'cartridge against tilting away from the floor of said chute, and thereby assuring properly aligned registration of the cap end of the cartridge with the opening or mouth ll of the chute, for unobstructed outward withdrawing movement through the latter.

The front and back walls 10 and ll of the container are each provided, adjacent to the rear end wall t2, with a series of vertically extending, spaced apart internal guide ribs 21, thereby providing, between adjacent ribs, 'a series of opposed vertical guideways 28 for the reception of a partition member 29 in selected spaced disposition relative to the forward end wall I3 of the container. be adjusted toward and from the forward end wall 13 of the container according to the length of the particular cartridges C desired to be carried in and dispensed from the container. It will thus be understood that the partition member 29 may be utilized to size the interior of the container conformably to the cartridges to :be carried, so that when said cartridges :are deposited in the container, the same are held against undue endwise movement or play, and thus maintained in desired column or stack formation within the container.

A means is provided for closing the upper open end of the container. Such closure means may be variously formed and related to the container, but, preferably, as shown, comprises a slide cover 30 having longitudinally grooved side marginal portions 3! to engage with and slide on outwardlly projecting guide lips 32, which extend along the-upper margins of the front and back walls HI and H of the container. The forward end of said slide cover 30 is preferably provided with one 'or more stop lugs 33, which are dependent from the margin thereof, and which, by abutment upon the forward end wall E3 of the container, determine the closed position of said c ver... The forward en'd of'sai'd slide cover is also Said partition member 29 may 7 triage lodged in said chute subject to be grasped provided with a finger piece 34 to facilitate manipulation of the cover.

When the container is filled with the content of cartridges C to be carried therein, an accordion or zig-zag type compression spring 35 is arranged between the closed cover 30 and the column or columns of contained cartridges. If the container is of the type adapted to enclose two columns or stacks of cartridges C (as shown), the lower free end portionof the spring 35 is bifurcated to rov'ide two spring tongues 36 and 31., one of which thrusts against one column or stack and the other against the adjoining column or stack, thus accommodating the spring to any relative changes in the heights of said columns or stacks. The said spring 35, in addition to gravitation, urges the cartridges downwardly through the container interior, thereby assuring that a succeeding cartridge will be at once deposited in the discharge chute 15 upon withdrawal of a bottommost cartridge therefrom.

The cartridge carrying and dispensing con-- In the use of the ammunition carrying and dispensing device, to withdraw the .bottornmost cartridge C from the discharge chute l5 of the container, the user merely grasps the exposed end of said cartridge and pulls the same outward. The stop member l3, being yieldably supported by the hinging spring coils i9, will be swung upwardly by the outwardly pulled cartridge and out of the path of movement thereof. After such removal of the cartridge, the stop member IE will immediately return to its normal dependent position, whereby to engage and restrain outward escape of a succeed= ing cartridge, which, in the meantime, has descended and has lodged in the discharge chute l5. These cartridge dispensing operations may be repeated until the entire content of the 0011'- tainer has been removed.

Having now described my invention, I claim: 1. A carrying and dispensing device for cartridges or the like comprising an upwardly open container, a removable "closure means for the upper open end of said container, the upper :por

tion of said container being of a width between its front and back walls adapted to house a pmrali'ty of stacked cartridges "in double column disposition, a downwardly inclined cartridge rea compression spring member interposed between the closed upper end of the container and the columns of cartridges therein, said spring member having a bifurcated lower end portion to provide separate spring tongues to respective ly thrust against the respective cartridge col urn'ns, the walls of said container and c'h-ute being cutaway at the lower discharge end of said chute, whereby to provide the latter with a discharge mouth adapted to expose an end portion of a can for withdrawal therefrom and a detent means atfixed on the end wall of the container adjacent to the discharge mouth Yet the chute, said detent means including a dependent yieldable stop mem ber adapted to lap theiexposed end of the cartridge contained in said'fcliute.

2. A carrying and dispensing device for cartridges or the like as defined in claim 1, wherein the chute is provided with a series of longitudinally spaced internal cross-ribs adapted to support 1 I I the nose end portion 0'': a icartridge contained in the chute, whereby to prevent longitudinal tilting of said cartridge.

3. A carrying and dispensing device for cartridges or the like as defined in claim 1, wherein front and back walls 6f the container are provided with a series of internal perpendicular opposed guideways, and a partition member adapted to be engaged in selected? gji ideways, whereby to conform the interior of the container to the length of a given size 61 cartridge desired to be carried therein.

ANDREW JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED following references are of record in the or this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'rEN'rs Name Date Lee Apr. 27, 1875 Durst July 31, 1894 Haynes Se t. 26, 1899 Jacobs Apr. 30, 1901 Baldwin ..-I May 5, 1903 Parkhurst Oct. 4, 1904 Fay Mar. 13, 1917 Payne Aug'. 24, 1920 Toborg Feb. 19, 1924 Johnson .-Apr. 6, 1937 Cooper June 28, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain June 2-3, 1908 Great Britain *Feb. 19, 1920 Germany Jan. 28, 1924 

